If she can't be the boss, will she be the secretary?

I don't think I was the only one who was surprised by the revelation today that Hillary Clinton is on President-Elect Obama's short list for Secretary of State. But after the initial shock wore off, a few things started to make sense. Obama was basically honor-bound to offer Senator Clinton some sort of important position in his administration; he owed her that much. After a sometimes bitter primary season, Clinton was a tireless campaigner on Obama's behalf throughout the remainder of the election, and the weight of that support was no small thing.

As much as Obama owed Clinton, however, the only position that had ever been seriously bandied about - Supreme Court Justice - didn't particularly make sense. Clinton is too much of a politician and too much of a policy wonk to ever be truly happy on the bench. Not to mention the fact that there's something a little creepy about being repaid for all your hard work on the campaign trail by being offered a position that requires that someone die first. (Then again, isn't that what being offered the vice presidency is all about....?)

Then there's that sudden thawing of relations between former President Clinton and soon to be President Obama. What changed Clinton's mind? Was it his realization that Obama would soon be the leader of his party and his country that brought him out of his funk? Or was it a tacit agreement that a position like Secretary of State was waiting for Senator Clinton on the other side of the election?

All such political payback considerations aside, I think Clinton would be a fascinating choice for Secretary of State. She has the foreign relations credentials, she has the careful and strategic mind required for the job, and she would be a striking contrast to Condoleezza Rice.